Improvement in machines for preparing plug chewing-tobacco



W. J. VAN HORN & W. ALEXANDER. MACHINE FOR SHEETING VPLUG TOBACCO.

No. 26,632. Patented Dec. 27, 1859.

ms nqnms PEYERS co.. PnuYoLrma. wAsnma'mn, D c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

w. J. VAN HORN AND WM. ALEXANDER, or LOUISIANA, n ssoon IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR PREPARING PLUG CHEWING-TOBACCO.

Specifi'cation forming part of Letters Patent No..2 6,632, dated DeCQ Q -EMJM To all whom it may concern.-.. Be it known that we, WALTER J. VAN Hon and WILLIAM ALEXANDER, of the city of Louisiana, in the county of Pike and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for PreparingPlug Ghewing-Tobacco; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of my machine for pressing the tobacco. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal central section taken through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 exhibits in detail the cutters .for' cutting the tobacco up into strips and plugs'or lumps as it comes from'the rollers in a compressed state.

' Similar letters of reference indicate COI'IC. spending partsin the three figures. V

By reference to the drawings, A represents the cast-iron frame-work for supporting the following parts:

B is a large cylinder having flanges pro.

'jecting from either side of its circumference, and having its bearings in suitable journalboxes on the top of frame A. Around this 'cylinder passes a belt, 0, (indicated by red' lines,) which may be of sheet metal or of any suitable-material. This belt passes over two rollers, D D,.whioh are also furnished with flanges. 0n one side of the cylinder, and fixed to its shaft, is a. spunwheel, E, of the same diameter as the cylinder, which receives its motion from any prime mover, and transmits it to the rollers for pressing and cutting the sheet of tobacco. The pressing-rollers F are arranged under the cylinder B and between the flanges of said cylinder, and are each' furnished with a pinion spur-wheel;

which engages with the teeth of the large wheel E, from which they all receive their rotary motion;

G is anendless belt, which passes around rollers H and I, and between the pressurerollers F and belt 0, and under these rollers F. This belt passes over a table, J, in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 2, upon which table the leaves of tobacco are laid in suitable thicknesses. ,The pressiire-rollershave their I hearings in an arc, K, which forms a part of the frame A. t In the rear of the machine, or where the sheet of tobacco'emerges from the rollers, are

four cutting-rollers or rotary cutters. H

L L are cutters, with their'knives placed at a suitable distance apart, for cutting the continuous moving body of tobacco into lengths or longitudinal strips. The knives can for this purpose are circular and work in annular slots in the upper roller. The sheet, after passing between these rotary cutters, is taken by the next cutters and cut into plugs L or lumps of the required length. These last outte'rs consist of a cylinder, M, and rotary transverse knives N. These cutters are all operated by' spu r-gearing, as represented-by Figs. 1 and 2, the motion being communicated to them by the main wheel E; v T

The operation of this machine maybe described as follows: The tobacco in itsnatural state is placed upon the table J, and is carried down between the large revolving drum or cylinder B by belt G and submitted to the action of the pressure-rollers F, aud'after being pressed into a solid mass the sheets oftobacco are delivered on the opposite side of. the

In the practical working of this machineflf.

the endless bands between which the tobacco is pressed should get choked up by adhering tobacco, they may be kept clean by arranging fixed scrapers so as to come in contact with. the surface of the bands as they pass under the rollers. y 7 What we claim as o11r invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i s i A machinefor pressing and cutting tobacco,

consisting of a central. cylinder, .13, endless belts C G, belt-rollers D,pressing-rollersgF,j receiving-table J, and cutting-rollers I I MN,

or their equivalents, constructed, arranged, and operating substantiallyas herein shown and described, so that the leaftobacco on being fed from the table will be pressed, cut, and delivered in the form of plugs, as herein set forth.

WALTERJ. VAN HORN. WILLIAM ALEXANDER.

Witnesses;

R. 0. PEW, J. A.- T. HENRY. 

